When I Left You
by Hikarifanfics
Summary: Alice had decided to leave Wonderland. Now, after she returned to her world, it all felt like a dream. But, all is not right when one after another, she spots three familiar faces. AceXAlice.
1. Chapter 1: The Day She Left

That day I was sad to leave. Everyone had a sad look on their face, even if they had tried to send me off with a smile, I knew deep down they were sad. Even I tried to smile, but my smile was a sad one as well. Peter tried to tackle and drag me back, saying he'd never let me go. It took both Ace _and _Elliot to hold him back. It made me, and almost everyone else, laugh. True it may have been a sad departure, but I'll always remember them.

.

The pitter patter of the rain could be heard all over Wonderland on that day, especially as the foreigner girl looked out the window of the Clock Tower for the last time.

"It really looks like it's raining hard. Will you be okay? We can always postpone it until it becomes sunny," asked a concerned Julius.

She breathed in. "Nah, it doesn't look like it will be letting up anytime soon. Besides, I want to make it soon. I don't know if I could take anymore of a certain little bunny," she said, laughing.

His concerned look worsened. "Are you sure that there is nothing I can do? Don't you regret not doing something?"

"Regret? Well …. I guess it would be that I never made you that perfect cup of coffee." She walked over to the man and brushed dust off his jacket. "Julius, make sure you don't over work yourself too much. _And _make sure Ace doesn't take advantage of you and drag you on an adventure. Go outside regularly and get some sunlight. Speaking of coffee," she glanced a worried a worried look at the kitchen, "we're almost out. You'll have to run to the store to buy some. Oh! Ace said that–"

"STOP!" he yelled, grabbing the girl's shoulders. "You're leaving today, so there's no reason to freak out!" he scolded. "Honestly, between you and Ace, I feel like I'm raising two kids."

"Ah...I'm sorry. I...I didn't realize I was freaking out. Um...bags, bags." She ran off in search of a bag to put the small amount of things she had accumulated in her stay here. To her, this situation almost felt unreal. She had always said, if she had the chance, she would leave, but she wanted to stay. It was like some invisible string was keeping her tied here. She looked up into the sky thew the window. "I'll be sad to go."

.

"Alice! I'll never let you leave me! You'll never leave! I'm soooory, Alice! This must be because I've not been playing enough attention to you! Now, fly into my chest and announce your love for me, my dear Alice!"

Ace laughed and everyone shook their heads at the man. Vivaldi mumbled something about beheading him too. She, herself, herself, couldn't help but to laugh also.

"Ace, Elliot, hold him back," ordered Julius, seeing as the guards were having trouble retraining him back. "Alice said she wanted to go home, so there's nothing we can do. But, we can _at least _keep Peter off of her."

"Huh? Why do I have to do it with him?"

"Elliot, go help him. Send the lady off nicely," he said, not making eye contact at all with the man.

"Alright, Sir Peter, let's step back!" He drew his sword, as his smile grew. Elliot hurriedly ran behind the man, grabbing him by the arms, restraining his movements. Ace walked beside him, placing his sword on his neck, restricting his movements even more.

The foreigner smiled at the two. She really would miss everyone here …

…

"Alice."


	2. Chapter 2: A Fated Encounter

"Alice, it's time to wake up." She felt a small nudge on her shoulder as she groaned, not wanting to get up. She pulled the blankets over her head, pleading for a few more minutes. The woman gave her a worried look. No sooner did she come back, and all she wanted to do was sleep? "Alice?" she asked, in a worried voice.

"I'm trying to sleep. I'll make your coffee in a few minutes Julius ... mmm..."

The woman's worried face soon turned to that of a concerned and confused one. "Coffee? Julius?"

Her eyes shot open. Looking at the blankets, they weren't her's, they didn't even seem familiar. She quickly bolted up and looked to her left. There standing in front of her was a her beloved sister.

"Alice, good morning," she smiled at her sister, who had just woken up. "You've been asleep for a long time. Are you sure you're alright?"

She nodded, not sure what to think. Was it all a dream? No, she never remembered having a nice dream about her sister.

"Oh! You were wondering how you got here! Well, after I went and got the cards, you were already sound asleep by the time I got back. So, I got someone to carry you to you're room, and you've been sleeping ever since."

"...So, it was all a dream," she mumbled.

"A dream?" She looked distressed over her over the odd behavior of her sister. "Was it a good dream?"

Alice smiled. "Yeah, yeah it was."

"It's a nice day out, why don't you take a walk? I'm sorry that I can't go with you."

She flopped down on her bed. "You know, I might just be a good idea."

.

She stretched her arms as she walked down the sidewalk. She took one last glance down at the piece of paper with words scribbled all over. The town seemed almost unfamiliar too her, only remembering bits and pieces from being in Wonderland for so long. She'd just have to try her hardest to remember, but with signs all over the place, it was hard to get lost.

"Lost, huh?" It reminded her of times when Ace would get lost, and drag her along too. Pulling that tent out from nowhere … she would really miss him. Of course, she'd miss everyone else as well, not just Ace. Though, she had to admit, holding Peter back was a really knightly thing to do. She chuckled. At least she got to see that side of him before she left.

"Lost? How can you get lost? I told you exactly which way to go!" She perked her ears up, listening to the voice that sounded very familiar "Come on! We're going this way …. shut up and come!" Then the screaming voice died down just like that.

"Ah … I must be imagining things. There's no way someone from wonderland could be here now," she laughed. Even if she was laughing, she had a disappointed face on. Still! It's someone who was lost, she needed to help them, right?

She rounded the corner, where the two men were arguing, but to her dismay, there was no one there. This time she really thought she was crazy. Was she hoping that _they _would be the two that were arguing? If she did, she was very stupid.

.

As she was walking back to her house, she began to remember the place better. About halfway there, she spotted a park. She lifted the bags up and put them on the bench as she sat down herself. She leaned against the back of the bench and closed her eyes …

...

Hey, Alice, how come you always cook for Julius? Can you cook for me too? I wanna eat Alice's cooking," said a brown-haired man.

"Ace, could you get out of my way? The only reason I cook for him is because he's so busy with his work. I don't see you doing any work," she sighed, turning her attention from the pot to the man.

"Oh, but, Alice, I do work all the time, you just don't see me."

"Isn't that the same?"

"No way! That's because ..."

...

Her eyes began to itch as she woke up from her dream. Without opening her eyes, she rubbed them, getting rid of the itch. She yawned and opened one eye. Her eyes drew wide as her jaw dropped open, a small blush on her face. There, standing in front of her, was ...


	3. Chapter 3: This is a Dream

There standing in front of her was two very familiar faces, the face's of two very close people to her.

"Hey, Alice!" yelled the man waving.

"I have nothing to say," the other said in an angry voice.

She sat there, staring at the two men. Tears began to swell in her eyes as she placed her hand over her mouth. "Ace, Julius," she whimpered. "Why did you come all the way here?" she yelled at them. To her surprise, she was happy to see them – too happy.

Ace smiled at her. "Alice, if you think you're gonna cry, you can come cry in my chest."

She sniffled, her hand still on her mouth. "That sounds like something only a pervert would say," she said, with a blush on her face.

"Haha, Alice, that's funny, but I was being serious, you know? We came all the way here _just _for you."

"Ace, shut up! Do you even think we you talk?" snapped Julius, who had previously been quiet, taking in the embarrassment he felt in front of the girl.

Even though she was mad and even happy, she couldn't help but laugh at the relationship between the two men. They were the same as always, and as close as ever. She, herself, didn't even know she was smiling at the two men until they started to stare at her.

"Alice?" said Ace. "Did you miss us?"

"Not at all," she smiled at them. "Rather, why are you two here? Or, how _did _you get here? I know Peter came here before but …"

Both men awkwardly looked at the other. There was something that wasn't right with those looks, and she knew it. Finally the awkward tension was broken as Ace looked at the girl. "Alice," he said calmly, "you're a smart girl, but you still have a lot to learn. It's true we're here, but we're not here like Sir Peter was."

"You mean … it's a dream?"

"Yes and no," Julius interrupted. "We are here, but _here _is in your dreams. This is all Nightmare's doing. You can thank him later."

"Later? But, I–"

Ace stopped her by moving closer to her, placing his face only inches away from her own face. "Shh, now's not the time to be talking about things like that. It's time to make a choice, Alice. What will you do? Stay here or come back to Wonderland?"

She looked shocked, almost hurt. She couldn't understand what was going on, nor did she want to. All she understood was they were telling her that she'd never see them again if she didn't go back to Wonderland. Could she? Why should she?

The two men started to flicker. "Ah, looks like times up. See ya later, Alice!"

"W-wait!" she screamed, trying to grab the man. Her hand went right threw him as she drew it back in shock.

"We'll see you again when you sleep," said Julius, calmly rubbing his forehead. "Really, I could be working right now if it wasn't for you."

"Well, sorry, if I'm being a distraction to your work, you workaholic."

Ace erupted into a fit of laughter. "haha, Alice, that was a good one." He smiled at her one last time before finally flicking out for good.

…

She opened her eyes to find the night had crept up without her knowing. "So, it really was a dream." She sat there looking into the blackness, all alone. There were so many emotions going threw her mind at that moment that she didn't know what to think. "Should I be worried about Nightmare? He can get awfully sick sometimes," she wondered out loud, remembering how sick the man could get. "Or should I wonder how Julius and Ace actually got him to agree to do that?" There were so many questions that she decided to just stop thinking. Their logic no longer applied to her anymore. "I guess I had better get back. She'll be mad if I don't." Taking the bags in her hands she got up and started walking. After a few steps she stopped. She quickly turned around and smiled. "I'll see you tonight, you two." with a that she ran off into the night's darkness.


	4. Chapter 4: The First Dream

As she had suspected, she got yelled at by her sister when she returned home so late. But, she didn't mind as much as she should have, for when she would go to sleep, she'd be able to meet them. So, after her lecture from her worried sister, she quickly ran to her room and hurriedly put on her pajamas as she readied herself for bed.

When she had finished, she jumped into bed and pulled the covers over her. She closed her eyes. Soon enough it went all black …

...

"Alice!" yelled a voice from behind her, as two large gloved hands covered her eyes. "Guess who?" he asked in an excited voice.

The girl laughed at the man, who to her, sounded like an excited little kid. "I know it's you, Ace."

He removed his hands and she turned around. "Haha, you got me. Good guessing!"

"I know what your voice sounds like, you know?" She paused and looked around. "Where's Julius?"

"He wouldn't come here. He said he had too much work to do. So, he told me to come here and not to do anything weird to you!"

She tilted her head. "Weird? I can't even touch you?" To her, it didn't make sense. She had already tried to touch him, but she couldn't. So, what_ was _he talking about?

His eyes were hidden behind his bangs but his devilish smile was plainly obvious on his face. "Really? Do you want to test that theory out?" he asked, grabbing the girl by the arms and pulling her to his chest. His mouth was beside her ear, causing her to be able to feel every breath he took. "Alice," he bite her ear and began to tug on it, "you're ears are all red."

In fact, it wasn't just her ears that were red, her whole face was red. She was trying her best to not let anything "unnecessary" escape her mouth. At least she knew now what Julius had meant by "weird things." It hadn't even been a couple of minutes, and Ace was already doing _exactly _what Julius had told him not to do. "A-Ace! K-Knock it off!" she yelled, trying to wiggle her way out of his grasp. But, his grasp was like iron. She could barely even move. And the man, he had no intention of _ever _letting go.

"Just to let you know, I have no intention to let you go tonight," he smiled. "We need to get _reacquainted _with one another. And, I'm not letting anyone disturb us."

Her face flushed red. _Why can't you wake up at important times, Alice? _She yelled to herself. All she needed to do was wake up. Sounds easy, right? So, why is it that she wasn't waking up?

"This is no ordinary dream, Alice. You'll wake up when Nightmare's dream wares off. Don't worry, though, I _personally _made sure that this dream would last a _very _long time."

She tightly closed her eyes as he bite harder on her ear. Nightmare. Nightmare was the one who was controlling this dream. If he wanted to, he could stop it anytime! He's a good person, so he'll stop this … right?

.

"I would very much appropriate it if you'd not come over when I'm so busy, Nightmare. Actually, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be watching over your dreamworld you created?" asked Julius, looking up for a brief moment from his "important" work.

The white-haired Incubus laughed. "I created that dreamworld for Alice, so what right do I have to peep on it?" he asked, acting as if he knew absolutely nothing.

"But! Ace is–"

"Nothings going to happen! If it does, I'll know right away! It is _my _dreamworld _I _created, after all. I should at least know what's happening in it," he steadily tried to convince the man.

Julius gave the man a suspicious look, but decided that he was right. Besides, right now, work was more important. Alice was a strong girl, she should be able to protect herself from him for awhile.

"So, then, Julius, what are we working on?" he asked, pulling a chair up to the desk the man was working on.

.

"Alice, it's not nice to slap people!" scolded Ace, rubbing his swollen cheek where the girl had hit him. "What if I had gotten seriously injured? You'd take responsibility, right?" His tone went from playful to serious, but was unnoticed by the girl.

"Of course I would take responsibility! That is _if_ you were seriously injured."

His smiled widened. "Alice~!" he wrapped his arms around the girl, intentionally pulling her closer to him. "I hope that you'll take full responsibility."

His face was now only inches away from the girl's face. The words and quick action making her face go completely red. His lips were getting closer, closer, closer, till finally ….

"Alice! It's been awhile!"

"N-Nightmare!" yelled Alice in shock.

Nightmare had fallen from the sky and landed right smack down on Ace, pushing him down, as if he were a foot stool. "I really miss our nightly conversations, so I came to visit you! Too bad I'm this late," he said in a disappointed voice.

"No, actually you're right on … time." Nightmare and Ace had begun to flicker, like the time previously with Ace and Julius.

"You see, you're just about to wake up, so I'm late. I'll come visit you again ...lice…." he said as he flickered out of existence. Then she was all alone in a weird looking world ...

...

"Alice, wake up."

She slowly opened her eyes to find a face staring straight back at her.


	5. Chapter 5: Come Back With Me, Alice!

Finding his face staring at her first thing when she woke up wasn't something she exactly liked. Startled half to death, she drew back until she hit the wall, finding she couldn't go any further. She grabbed a pillow, the closest thing she could find to protect herself with. "Peter! What are you doing here?"

His face was serious, so much so, that it was beginning to scare her. It wasn't the normal Peter she was accustom to. And, this she knew, was no dream. "Alice, you finished the game, congratulations. But, I don't want to see you go. Alice," he drew his face closer, "come back with me."

He got up, leaving the girl sitting on the bed in shock, and left, jumping out the window. She jumped up and ran to the window, a look of distress on her face. He wasn't there. She placed her hand over her mouth, a blush appearing on her face. _If you need me, call my name and I will come._

.

The man hopped down, landing firmly on the ground. He brushed off any dirt that might have gotten stuck on him. With a firm look on his face he began to walk forward, ready to fulfill his role as the Prime Minister of the Castle of Hearts.

"That was very knightly, Sir Peter. But, you see, the role of the Knight belongs to me," said Ace, leaning against the wall. He had noticed that Peter had gone missing. Knowing how fond he was of Alice, and the fact that he was missing, could only mean he went to see Alice. That was something he wouldn't let him do. Of course, with the help of Nightmare – even if he interrupted his time with Alice – he watched as Peter talked with the girl. He had seen _everything_, including Alice's blushing face after he left, which left an untamed anger in the man. Alice was his.

"Well," he said in a hostile tone, "I don't see you being very knightly. Besides, what does it matter to you? Alice and my relationship has nothing to do with you."

"Oh, but, Sir Peter, it does, it does. Because, you see, I'm interested in Alice."

"Why you!" he yelled, drawing his gun to the role holder. His eyes were mad with rage at the knight's comment about Alice. One shot. He was sure all it would take was one shot to finish him off.

"Sir Peter," he said, drawing his sword, "I just want to give you a little piece of information. _I _will be the one to bring Alice back."

.

"You lost your apatite?" The girl nodded, moving her spoon in her porridge. "I knew you'd get sick after you told me you'd fallen asleep on the park bench! Just look at your face! It's all red!"

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, her mind somewhere else.

She sighed. "Go to sleep for today, Alice. I'll go get some wet rags to put on you. We'll try the porridge some other time." She pushed her sister into the hallway leading into her room, and scurrying off in the other direction.

The hallway was dark, creating an eerie feeling that she found most disturbing. Being alone like his made her feel almost scared. In Wonderland, she was always with someone, so she never had the opportunity to feel scared scared of being alone. Son it was getting hard to breath, everything was spinning. The last thing she remembered was her sister screaming her name …

…

"Mmm." She felt warm even thought it was all black around her. She felt safe, like she was being held like a small newborn child. She reached up and felt something. She grabbed it, clutched it tightly in her hand.

"Alice, are you sick?"

The voice soothed her , erasing all of her worry and doubt she had. If only she could stay like this forever.

"It's time to wake up, sleepy head."

She groaned not wanted to wake up. She opened her eyes to find Ace's face staring at her. Strangely enough, she was calm. Her eyes wandered, leading to her finding out, in fact, she was being held in his arms. It really didn't bother her that Ace was the one she woke up to, or that he was gently holding her in his arms. In fact, she liked it. "Ace," she mumbled, getting up and wrapping her arms arms around him. He was so warm, she didn't want to let go.

He smiled worriedly at the girl, knowing she was sick – very sick. But, even he didn't want to let go as he hugged her tightly. "Alice," he said in a desperate voice, "don't leave me..."

…

"You poor thing, you look like you're in pain. I wish there was something I could do for you," said her sister, stroking her sister's head gently. "Get better soon, Alice."

The sick girl's hand lifted and grabbed her sister's hand, which was previously stroking her head. "I...won't...leave you."

The woman chuckled at her sister. "Alice, are you in love?"

.

When she woke up that night, she remembered nothing. She wondered what happened, assuming she passed out, seeing as she last remembered walking to her room.

There, at the foot of the bed, was one little note.

_Dear Alice, who will you come back with? Because now, you are a part of wonderland. _


	6. Chapter 6: Why Won't You Come Back?

"Come back? I...I won't go back."

.

"Alice! Why won't you come back?" cried Peter, watching the girl.

"So, Alice isn't coming back?" asked Nightmare, floating beside Peter, also watching the girl.

"Of course Alice is coming back! She's coming back with me!" he snapped. The was no way he would let that happen. Alice must, and will, come back with _him. _

"Well, from the way it's looking I don't think she'll be coming back with you," he hinted. Since it was his dreamworld, he knew all that was going on. So, that being said, he knew that right now Ace had the lead.

His face grew agitated at his carefree personality. Of course he knew that. But, he also knew, he would never let that happen. "Alice will just have to wait a bit more before I come back to her. I hope she doesn't get too lonely."

"I don't think that would happen," he laughed.

Mid laugh he stopped. Without his noticing, Peter had pulled out his gun and shot a bullet at him, almost hitting him too. "Shut up."

.

She clutched tightly the paper in her hand. She couldn't go back. With a sigh, she sat down on her bed. Flopping down she landed face up on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. Why did they all want her to go back so badly? She wasn't a part of Wonderland, she never was. It was all a strange place to her. Their customs, their logic, their life styles, they were all just too strange for her. She tried her best to adapt to them, but she never could. Deep in her heart, she had always felt like an outsider – someone who never should have been there in the fist place – even with the warm welcomes. Did she really want that kind of life?

Her fingers ran through her head as she pondered about the little note that was left on her bed. She knew that Ace and Peter had both asked her to come back. Was this what Peter had meant in the note? She rolled over. Peter's logic was hard to understand sometimes. It made her head hurt. Her eyes were getting heavy, even though she had just woken up. They were so heavy …

…

"Alice!" yelled a cheerful Nightmare. He was running toward her as she realized where she was.

"But, how did I?"

"I called you here, Alice. I told you that I'd come visit you again!"

"Ah, well, couldn't you have just … waited till I feel asleep?"

He stopped, placing his hand over his mouth, blood seeping out of it, falling to his knees. "I'm such a sickly Incubus, and working this hard for them all is hard on me, Alice. All I wanted to do was to see you and take a break because I was working so hard for you, Alice. And yet you ..." He began to violently cough, blood flying out of his mouth.

"Nightmare!" she yelled in a complete panic, running over to the man. "A-are you okay?" she whimpered, not sure what to do.

His hand was shaking as he lifted it. Alice grabbed it and held it tightly. "I...I'll be okay...if you... tell me...why you... don't...want to..." he began to cough again, "...come back...to Wonderland."

Of course, being as native as she is, was completely fooled by his act. "I...I don't know. I just...don't want to go." He looked confused at the girl, forgetting about his little act. "When I think about going back, I'm scared to. I mean...I already left once, what if I leave again if I do come back?"

He was confused, but sympathized with the girl. "Even if that did happen, Alice, we would all still love and welcome you."

"Because I'm a foreigner?"

He chuckled at the girl. "No, because Alice is Alice. That's why we love you. Not because you're a foreigner." He smiled at the girl, making her even more confused …

…

Looking up, all she could see was her ceiling. She had no idea how she had gotten back, but what Nightmare said, was still fresh in her mind. Could people love her just because she was herself? Is it even possible?

She rolled over in her bed. Talking to Nightmare like that made her tired. Maybe just for now, Nightmare would cut her a little slack. She was sick after all...

.

It was a random question, just popping into his mind. "Alice, why do you always come looking for me, even when you know you'll just get lost too?" he asked, poking the fire with a stick.

The girl sat on a log behind the knight. "Because, Julius wanted you. Knowing you, Ace, it would take at least three time periods or more before we'd see you. But, if I got you, you'd get there faster. So, it's for Julius' benefit."

"Do you like him?"

She blushed madly. "N-no! Not at all! It-it's just that he lets me stay there and I do nothing, so I wanted to do something for him! Even if that means spending the night with you." She looked away from the man's gaze, knowing all to well how hard it is to look away from his eyes when he's serious.

He smirked at the girl, turning around to face her. As he got up, she looked over to see him walking toward her. Before she could comprehend it, he had placed both hands beside her and his face was just _too_ closer for her. "Are you sure you didn't just come for me? And not just because Julius told you too?"

"W-why would I?" she quickly denied.

"Because, I think Alice likes spending more time with me than Julius."

_Ba-thump._ "T-there's no way, t-that's true!" She moved back, the man with her. He didn't want this time to end so quickly. He was having too much fun.

"Really? And how many time has it been just this week that you've stayed with me?" he chuckled.

"I-I don't know. B-but regardless of that, it really can't be helped. Julius' work has been increasing lately, s-so he needs your help," she stuttered.

"Using Julius as an excuse to hide your feelings, how unladylike, Alice."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm telling you, you should open up your heart more, be honest to your feelings."

"What feelings?" she yelled agitatedly at the man, who to her, was making no sense whatsoever.

"What feelings? Really, Alice, do I have to explain everything to you?" he smiled, showing just how amused he was at the girl's reaction. "Alice, your real feelings are..."

…

The knocking at her door woke her up from her dream as she stretched. Why was it that she always dreams about Ace? Couldn't she dream about something else? Anything else? Well, a dream about Peter might be worse, no, it would be a nightmare, for sure. It's not like she didn't like to dream about him, it's just that she was only dreaming about embarrassing moments! Her face flushed red as she remembered her dream.

The knocking stopped. "Alice," came a voice from behind the door, "can I talk to you for a little bit?"


	7. Chapter 7: A Sister's Suspicion

"Alice, can I talk to you for a little bit?"

"Sure, come on in," she said calmly. She decided, she'd forget all about that dream and just talk with her sister. She didn't need to remember, for it would only mess up her head even more then it was, causing unnecessary things to happen to her, which she didn't need.

Her sister came in with a bright smile on her face, holding a glass of water in one hand. "Alice, are you feeling any better today?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed beside her sister, who was also sitting at the edge of her bed.

She glanced over to the window where the morning sunlight was seeping through her curtains. "I'm all better," she said cheerfully and reassuringly, knowing how much worry she must have caused her sister.

"That's good." She gently stroked her sister's head, warmly smiling down at her.

"Is that what you wanted to talk about?" she asked, looking innocently up at her sister.

"Ah, what I wanted to talk about. Yes. Well, you see, Alice, I wanted to talk to you about something important." She handed her sister a glass of water that was in her hand. "Drink up."

"What is it?" she asked, taking a sip of the water her sister gave her.

"Are you in love?"

The water that had previously been in her mouth, before her sister's comment, was now all over the place as it came out of her mouth. "W-what?" she yelled, her face bright red in embarrassment. There was no way in the world she was in love with someone! The only people she had meet was everyone in Wonderland. No, there was no way she was in love with someone from Wonderland. No, no,no,no, no!

"Well, it's just that last night, you muttered in your sleep 'I won't leave you,' with a shy expression on your face. Of course, your face was bright red from your cold, but it got even redder as you said that. So, I just assumed that you were in love with someone."

Alice looked bewildered at her sister. She had said that? When? There was no memory of her doing that... "It couldn't have been …. when I passed out?" She didn't remember anything from that time. Ace, Julius, Nightmare, or even … Peter could have been there. Speaking of Nightmare, he _was_ acting a bit strange. Was it him? Thinking about herself saying something like that to Nightmare made her blush.

"Oh, so it's true!" she exclaimed, happy for her sister.

"N-no! Not … n-not true! I don't...love anyone." But, while she was saying this, one image of someone kept popping into her head, causing a slight blush on her face. "J-Just let me sleep!" she yelled, pulling the covers over her head. She closed her eyes and heard her sister laugh before leaving ...

...

...

...

It wasn't coming. She couldn't sleep. Thinking back, she'd done a lot of sleeping recently. But, she needed to talk to Nightmare, or even Ace, as long as it was someone. She tightly shut her eyes, pleading someone drag her in Nightmare's dreamworld. Then she heard her name being called …

...

"Alice, hey!" rang Ace's voice, as she felt him catch her.

She opened her eyes after she heard the man's voice. Indeed, he caught her, seeing as she was being cradled in his arms, like a princess. "W-what?" she asked, confused at how she even got there.

He let go of the girl, helping her onto her feet. "Are you still sick? Last time you were here, you feel asleep on me." She got stiff. "Alice," he looked down at her with a confused smile on, "are you okay?"

She couldn't talk. Her sister's voice rang in her head, over and over again. _I won't leave you. I won't leave you. _"I won't leave you," she muttered, not aware of what she was saying.

His face brightened. "You said the same thing last time too! But! You went to see Nightmare, didn't you? I wanted to see you so badly too!" he complained to the girl, who stopped even paying attention after the first eight words.

She gulped, preparing herself for what might lye ahead. "A-Ace," she began slowly, "I don't remember what happened last time you were here with me. C-can you tell me exactly what happened." She was scared to hear what he was going to say, to hear her real feelings.

He smiled down at the girl, cold eyes piercing her's. "You were sick when you came here. I found you lying on the floor, so I picked you up. When you finally woke up, you looked out of it. But, you said my name and hugged me."

Without noticing, her hand reached out and squeezed the man's hand. "W-what happened next?"

His smiled widened, turning into that of an amused one. "Do you really want to know, Alice?" She nodded her head. "Then, what will you do for it? I don't just give out important information for free, you know?"


	8. Chapter 8: Do You Love Me?

"What do you mean? I don't remember asking that hard of a question I would have to pay you to answer it for me, seeing as you already answered some of it," she said, agitatedly. How could he just stop mid-sentence like that? She knew it was something important too – the reason why she said those words to him.

He laughed, very amused at how native the foreigner could be sometimes. "Do I have to explain myself? If you really want to know what happened, you have to give me something in return. It's not that hard, right?"

She groaned. "I don't have anything to give you, Ace."

"Oh, but, Alice, I could think of at least two things you could give me right here," he smiled sweetly at the girl. This game was turning out to be very fun. He got to see lots of different sides of Alice he had never seen before. This game, wouldn't be over for a very, very long time.

She blushed, a look of defiance on her face, not happy with this "game" the man was playing with her. "What are you saying? Two things?" His finger pointed to her chest, then slowly made it up to her lower face. "Let me guess, you want to either hear my heart or to kiss me?"

He smiled. "It's a small price, considering I could do so much more. Be more aware that I'm a man and your a girl, a small, little girl, Alice."

She gritted her teeth. What he said about her made her angry, probably because, right now, it and _she _was exactly as he had said it to be. "And what of it? Julius doesn't let me be alone without trusting that I can handle you, or he would never let me leave the clock tower."

This made him laugh. "Hahaha, Alice. You have a lot to learn. Did you know, when you don't come back within an hour, he starts to have tantrums, worrying like a little mother over you? Where's the trust you said he had in you?"

She didn't know what to believe. Of course, the picture of what Julius might have looked like made her want to fall on the ground in a fit of laughter, rubbing it in his face for once. "I ..." she breathed. "If he didn't trust me, he would be here right now. Where is he? Isn't he working?" The knight's face became more serious, knowing she was right. "Aren't you what's most dangerous in Wonderland, Ace? So, if his work is more important, doesn't that make me right?"

"That's true, your right, but you're also wrong. He's working, only because he _thinks _Nightmare is watching over us right now. He _thinks _he won't let me do anything to you. He _thinks _your safe. But, what if he had gotten busy, and had no time to _watch _over us? So, doesn't that mean, he really doesn't trust you? That he trusts Nightmare instead?"

She couldn't find the words to say he was wrong. They wouldn't come out. But, his words hurt her. Julius trusted her, she believed him. He trusted her like a father would trust his child to grow up. He had to. "Whatever you say, I trust Julius with all my heart."

"Heart?" In a split second, his eyes became cold, cruel, emotionless, and most of all, it made her scared of him, made her insides churn with an unknown fear.

Her eyes widened. She just said the "H" word in front of him. She stepped back, making the knight step forward. His eyes were piercing her, making her weak, so weak she didn't want to move. _I won't leave you...I won't leave you...with a shy expression...your face got even redder..."_I...I know what you did. I remember it." It was a big gamble, but if this worked out well, she could really find out what happened.

"Alice, you have no idea what happened. Aren't you just bluffing?"

"I'm not! I remember it all clearly!"

"Then, why don't you tell me what happened?" He drew his sword, with a swift movement, the point of it was against her neck. One wrong move and it was all over for her. Maybe, she could convince him otherwise, just like last time.

"When I passed out that one night, I came here. I fell from the sky, and you caught me." He raised an eyebrow. "...Then...after I hugged you..."

He burst out into laughter again, the sword dangerously bouncing up and down on her neck. "Alice, you know nothing. But, I'm surprised you remembered that much. Too bad for you that your little lie didn't work out for you. I don't mind killing you right her, right now. In fact, I want to see what Alice's face would look like."

"Y-you won't be able to hear my heartbeat anymore, remember, Ace?"

"I'm sure there will be other foreigners that will come here. Besides, you never let me listen to it."

She looked down at the sword that was against her neck, and back up at it's wielder. His eyes looked hesitant to kill her, despite what he said. Now was her chance to strike. She had to say something. At this point, anything would do, so long as it knocked him off guard.

"Ace...do you love me?" Her eyes looked as if they were about to cry, her voice sounding as if her heart was just broken. She couldn't justify why she said those words so sadly, or even why she had said them in the first place. Was, just for once, she being true to her heart?

Her words made him confused – conflicting emotions stirring inside him, clashing and bashing, only making him more confused. "Love?" His eyes were emotionless, his words harsh. What did this girl know about him? He hated she acted like she knew him. "I don't love you, Alice."

It must have been then, when the girl truly regretted meeting the people in Wonderland. It must have been then, she was shattered into a million pieces. It must have been then, she cried from her heart. It must have been then...she truly loved someone.


	9. Chapter 9: The One Who Brings Her Back

"I don't love you, Alice."

At that moment, her whole world came crashing down on her. But, she held strong, her eyes showing just how determined she was. "It's not fair to make someone fall for you, then say you don't love them," she said, in almost the same tone as Ace had been talking in.

He wanted to laugh it off, pretend it was nothing, end it. But, the girl wouldn't let him, he knew it. "Alice, what are you going to do next, I wonder?"

Her gaze was straight into the man's eyes. "I'll make you love me. Because I know, Ace, you can, and you will."

His eyebrows raised as she said this. She sounded so confident for such a little girl. His grin was a big as it could get. This foreigner never ceased to amuse him at all. "I'll take you up on that offer. So, will you come back to Wonderland?"

Her smile was the exact picture of how confident she was that he'd fall for her. "Yes, without a doubt. And then, our game will begin."

"Sounds interesting. I'm glad Alice is coming back!" he halfway turned around. "Did you hear that Nightmare? Alice said she was coming back with me."

"Alice, you're coming back?" asked Nightmare, popping up behind Alice. "That's great. I won't get lonely anymore!"

She laughed at his response. "I'm sorry you were lonely, Nightmare."

"But, it wasn't just me, it was everyone in Wonderland that missed you, Alice. Even ask the knight over there; I'm sure he noticed it by now."

He laughed his usual way. "Now now, what ever could you be talking about? I didn't notice a thing. It must just be your imagination."

"But, on your way over here you were complaining about how Julius was acting weird. You even noted that everyone else wasn't their usual selves. I didn't notice until you said something, Ace."

"Julius? I said that he was doing too much work. I've been being called too much lately. Well, it's not like I mind it, but ..." he glanced over at Alice.

"Ace," she interrupted, "let's go back home."

He stopped. Just by looking, he could see just how much the girl had changed. This struck him hard, making him not even able to find words to say to the girl. "Alright then," he smiled.

"Then, Alice, I'll see you tonight! For now, just hold on tight, it might be a bumpy ride."

Only a few seconds after he said that, she blanked out. It went black, no sound, no light. When she opened her eyes, however, she was lying face up in the forest in … Wonderland? She laughed. It wasn't a lie, she really was here, that she was thankful for. "But then, the problem is … where am I?"

"We're lost!" exclaimed Ace, in a almost too happy voice.

"Why are you so happy we're lost?"

"Because I get to spend even more time with Alice, that's why … Alice?"

"Come on," she sighed, rummaging threw bushes. "I think Julius' place is over here somewhere. I don't wanna spend my first night in Wonderland stuck in a forest until who knows when, Ace."

She grabbed the man's hand and began to lead him threw the dense bushes, occasionally getting snagged by a few looses branches. So, by the time she did reach the Clock Tower, where Julius was, she was quite the mess. Though, before she could even open the door, it opened by itself to reveal a worn out Julius.

"A-Alice?" he stuttered in shock at seeing the girl standing in front of him, covered in bloody scratches.

"Hey, Julius," she said, trying her best to smile at the man.

He looked up at Ace, who shrugged, acting as if he knew nothing, and then back down at Alice. Quickly, he took her hand and dragged her inside, grumbling the whole way. When he got upstairs, he pushed her down on a chair and went to go get a first aid kit from somewhere.

In a few minutes he returned with a box in his hands. To her surprise, he didn't say a word about her coming back, even though she knew he was shocked. Instead, he only keeled down and opened the box.

"So, mind telling me what you did to get all these scratches?" he asked, rummaging threw the box.

"Umm … we–"

"We?"

"A-Ace and me ended up in a forest and I didn't want to spend the night there, so I started to search for somewhere familiar, and we just ended up here.

He raised his eyebrows like he was going to say "I see," but said nothing to her, only tending to her cuts and scratches. Ace, on the other hand, kept looking at Julius, her, then Julius again.

Her eyes widened. "Ah!" She stood up, realizing what he was hinting at, which caused Julius to fall back at her suddenly standing up. "Julius! You're not over working yourself, are you?" she asked in a worried and somewhat demanding voice.

He lowered his face, his bangs falling over his face. "... you … you came back here after leaving and that's the first thing on your mind." He looked up at her. "Silly girl," he smiled.

She also smiled back. "I'm back, Julius."


	10. Chapter 10: Around and About

"Geez, Julius, I leave only for a few days, and look at this!" She slapped her feather duster on a chair she just climbed down off of, glaring at the man who was more interested in his work than what she had to say. "Dust everywhere, mountains of dirty dishes, geez, this is just _too _much. Did you really have that much work to do when I wasn't here?"

He sighed, not wanted to answer her question. To him, he would have just preferred to listen to her yell at him than answer this question. "I did have a lot more work to do then usual."

"But, you could have taken some time off, right?"

"No, that wouldn't be possible. I'm a busy man with lots of work to do."

"Still!"

"You missed a spot," he pointed to where she was previously dusted. "See? Right there."

She looked up at the spot he was pointing to. A little spot of dust was left. "...anyways, what would you like for dinner?"

"Oh, we ran out of food. I was planing on going later, but since your here, you can go."

She breathed in. "Alright!" she said, smiling hatefully. She put her feather duster down and walked out slamming the door behind her..

"..." he sighed, bringing his hand up to his face. "...why'd I lie?"

.

She sighed. There wasn't any particular reason why she had to go and get mad at him. He was just being his same old self. Besides that, she was sure he was just too worried about her. He'd always try to deny it, but she knew he always freaked out when she would leave for more than an hour. It was just Julius being Julius. She would have to apologize when she got back.

"Alice!" came a voice from afar. "I thought you left. W-why are you ...here?" asked the kitty-eared man in confusion.

"Hey, Boris. I'm back," she smiled, laughing at how it sounded. To her, it sounded weird to say that. She, when she left, decided that she wouldn't come back here once she left. Yet, here she was, back in Wonderland, the same place she said she wouldn't come back to, saying "I'm back."

"W-why? Y-you left? I … I mean I'm happy to see you and all, but ..." He was smiling, but this smile was a filled with confusion.

She laughed. "S-some things happened and I just ended up coming back. Y-you seem to be in a hurry, something wrong?" she hastily asked, hoping to change the topic. There was no why she was going to say why she really did come back, not if her life depended on it.

"Ah! I'm sorry, Alice! I have to hurry up or I won't make it! See you around!" he shouted, running on ahead to finish water it is he was doing before seeing the foreigner.

A playful sigh escaped her mouth, he hadn't changed at all, and that she was glad for. They were the same people she had come to care deeply for … some more than others, but still all the same, she cared for them. As she thought this, she contintued to walk, not paying much attention, on her part, to where she was going.

"Onee-chan! Onee-chan!" cried two familiar voices.

She knew those voices; she knew who them came from; she knew who they worked for. Her heart stopped, her eyes wide with fear. Where was she? Where was she exactly? She looked over at the two boys that had ran over to see her. Even though their mouths were moving, she heard nothing but the steadfastness of her own heart beat. If the two twins were here then that could only mean one thing – Blood Dupure. That was a name she didn't want to hear. Even if she had made an "agreements" of sorts with him, he still scared her.

"Alice? It's Alice! Look, Blood, Alice is back!" waved Elliot.

_Thump, thump, thump. _Here it comes.

"Oh, the little lady's back, is she?"

_Thump, thump, thump. _She tried to speak, but, much to her dismay, her throat was dry, not letting any words come out.

"Would you like to come have some tea? We'd be honored to have you come over for a cup of tea as soon as you got back," he smiled at her.

Thump. It was a lie. She had seen the smile he had on right before she left. He was glad she was gone, and she knew it because he made sure she knew.

"Alice! We can have a carrot party!" yelled Elliot in joy, holding out a basket full of orange carrots. Blood, on the other hand, covered his mouth, his face turning blue, and ran, not wanting to see anymore of the orange vegetable.

"Ahaha … I … I have groceries to get ... for Julius …. so, I'll have to pass this time. Maybe we can do it some other time?" she tried to smile, but it didn't quite turn out the way she had hopped.

She waved as she left, glad she had an excuse to leave. She wasn't quite fond of the idea of a "carrot party," herself. She sighed, wondering if everyone will overreact like this.

"Alice! We've missed you! You should have told us that you were back sooner. If the knight hadn't of told us, we wouldn't have known. We're glad Alice is back," she added with a smile that awed the girl.

"Vivaldi," she said delightedly. Then, a sudden thought hit her. If Vivaldi was here …._ they _wouldn't be too far off, right?

"Alice!" yelled the two familiar voices from behind her.

She spun around, ready to be tackled by the bunny-eared man. But … no one was talking her. Looking up, she could see Ace holding back Peter by the collar. She breathed a sigh of relief. She'd have to thank him later.

"Quit fighting," Vivaldi stepped in. "Alice has just come back, and all you do is fight. Alice's coming back requires a celebration. We won't tolerate you ruining this touching reunion."

"Tell him this!" Peter screamed, pointing to Ace who was still holding him back.

The knight tilted his head in confusion. "Oh, but, Sir Peter, I'm only holding you back from tackling Alice. It'd ruing the touching reunion, wouldn't it?"

"That is correct," she said, surprised by the realization of the situation. "Alice would be discomforted, and we would not tolerate that. Alice, would you like to have tea with us? Tea time is approaching," she pointed out the beginnings of change in the time, which Alice hadn't ever noticed before, though they were just small.

"Oh, well … I have to go get some groceries for Julius, so unfortunately I won't be able to make tea time today."

"Oh, I see," she said disappointingly. "Well, it can't be helped. But, how could he make Alice do such things when she gets back?" she huffed. She waved her hand. "Then, let us depart. We have things we need done. Peter Ace."

"Yes," Peter responded running to the queen's side.

"Ah. Would it be okay if I helped Alice. She'd need someone to carry her things for her," he asked, walking over and placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"We will allow it. You must make sure Alice doesn't carry anything in return. Alice, you're welcome back into the palace anytime you wish to come. We will be waiting."

"Okay," she smiled. Vivaldi was always so refreshing. She always made her mood become much better. Above all, she understood her very well. As Vivaldi left with Peter, she waved to her as she looked back.

"So, then," his hand slipped over own, pulling the bag from her, "groceries was it?"

"Yep, this way," she grabbed his hand, leading the way into town.


	11. Ch 11: Shopping is Hardly an Easy Task

The town was a bustling with a mass of faceless people. The people running here and there, never really stopping unless to meet someone or buy something. It looked like a normal city except for the fact that all the people had no faces.

"I haven't been here before," she stated, looking around the town. "Where do I go to get food?"

"I don't know. But I think if you ask, someone will tell you."

She moaned. It wasn't she didn't want to ask, but rather, she was embarrassed to ask. She regretted not doing this sooner or going with Julius to get the food. "W-well, I'm sure we can find it if we wonder around a bit. I-I mean it's not like we really _need _someone to tell us. If we don't learn from experience, then what good would that be?"

He smiled. "Then it's a date," he said, happily taunting the girl.

Her eyes grew big as her face lit up a bright red. _I'll make you love me. _She had almost forgotten what she had said. So, why now of all times was it popping up in her head. "I-it's not a date!" she stuttered, looking away from his taunting gaze. "W-we're just … shopping is all."

"Aww, come on, Alice," he whined sounding disappointed, but the girl knew that it was far from the truth. "It's a date. A d-a-t-e." While he words were playful, his smile was callous, sending shivers down her whole body.

She gulped. "T-then," she moved her eyes up to look at him, "what do you say we do?"

He blinked in surprise. "What … do we do?" He hadn't thought of that, but he had to give her credit for surprising him like that. It was too bad for her, he was a quick thinker. "Well," he grabbed her hand and pulled her close, "I have a few ideas."

"You'll just get lost," she pointed out his awful sense of direction.

"I happen to know these parts pretty well," he countered.

"Wait! You said that you!" He placed his finger over her mouth shushing her.

"I said, I don't know where to get _food._ Then, Alice, follow me."

She didn't say a word, only following behind the man, holding tightly his hand. Her whole face was embarrassed and she couldn't find the words to say anything. Yet, no matter what she said or felt, she felt safe with him holding her hand like he was.

"I think the food stands are over here," he pointed to the shops with awnings hanging over them. "What do you need?"

The foreigner could feel her heart thump inside her chest and feel the blood rush to her face. Strangely, however, she was calm. "T-thanks." She quickly looked down. "Umm … I need … umm. L-let's go over there!" She pointed to a shop with fresh fruit, an elderly old lady tending to it.

"Hello there," she said in a hoarse-like voice. "Somethin' I can help y'all with? This is your first time here right? If not, I'll be darned. My age must be catching up."

"Don't worry," the girl laughed, "we're first timers. I just need some fruit. Do you think you could help me?"

"Not a problem," she smiled, her mouth curling, showing her decaying, blackened teeth.

After she had finished talking to the shopkeeper, and getting her food, she and Ace left to get the rest of what she needed. And so, by the time that the two had finished, it was already dusk.

He kept looking at her; she kept spacing out throughout their whole walk. She said nothing as he just watched her, silently observing her every actions.

The girl sighed. "Ace, thank you for today. It was fun."

His eyes narrowed on her, his face unreadable. Without much thought, he reached out his hand and grabbed the girl.

"Ace?" she said in shock, half turning to face the man.

His other hand reached out and pulled her closer to him, the hand that he used to grab her hand, wrapping itself around her back.

"Ace! Let me go!" she screamed, face red, pushing the man off of her, causing him to fall to the ground.

A twig snapped in half as a foot stepped on it, crushing it. "You're supposed to be the strongest sword fighter and here you are being pushed down on the ground by a weak girl – not very strong if ever."

"Blood!" Alice shouted in shock, discomfort in her voice.

"Would you like to try it out?" he asked, raising up from off the ground. Once he was up, he quickly reached for his sword and pulled it out. "I can assure you, it's a run for your money."

"As if I'd take my precious time and waste it to fight the likes of you," he said, snubbing the man. "It's hardly worth the effort, if you ask me. You'll be lost soon anyways."

Ace tilted his head and looked at Alice, who quickly turned the other way. She coughed a few times before looking at Blood. "Umm...he...he won't fight you so...or...I-I'll make sure of it," she said, without ever meeting the man's eyes.

He raised his eyebrow. "I had no intention of fighting him in the first place. I'm leaving, so you two just continue on with whatever you were doing," he announced in a disgusted voice. "Please, don't let me interrupt you." With that said, he quickly turned around and left, acting as if the two were some kind of bugs that he couldn't stand to be around.

After a few minutes, he looked back. "Hmph, stupid girl."

Ace moved his eyes to where the girl stood. He could easily see the almost invisible shaking in her hands. "Alice, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing," she stuttered. "Nothing at all."

"But – "

"I said it was nothing. Anyways, I got what I came here for," she pointed out, holding out the bag of groceries in her hand., "so, let's go." She smiled at the man and held out her hand to him.

"Alright. Do you want me to take you back to Julius' place?" he asked, taking her hand.

"Sure."

Two the walked back, holding hands, but without really saying anything.

She sighed, was the reason she wanted to hold his hand because she wanted to be reassured she was safe? Or was it something else? She wasn't quite sure, but she felt relaxed by holding his hand so it didn't really matter to her that much. This was something she could get use to over time.


	12. Chapter 12: On the Way Back

Awkward wasn't the word to say. It was more than embarrassing too. The whole situation wasn't your dream situation. In fact, it was more or less a nightmare.

"Alice?" He broke the silence that had been cast over them since they had started back.

"What?"

"Are you mad or something?"

"And what would make you think that?"

He scratched his cheek. "Well, you just seem … kinda pissed."

She turned around and smiled at him. "Not at all. Oh! Look; it's already dark. Why don't we set up camp for the night. I don't want to walk around at night and risk getting lost. Ace, could you please?"

"I could if that's what you want," he said in a confused voice.

The girl sighed, looking for a log to sit on. Once she found a log to sit on, he walked across from it and started to set up the tent. It didn't take him that long of a time to finish, so after he was done, he went to collect firewood.

She hadn't realized it herself that he had left. In fact, the whole time she had been spacing out, her mind filled with nothing but him. Now that she was back, he was nowhere to be found. Her heart began to pound with fear, her eyes starting to get teary. Where was he? Where was he? "A...Ace," she whimpered, bringing her hands up to her face to stop her tears, and if anything else, hide them.

Two large hands grabbed her hands and moved them to the side. "What's wrong, Alice?"

Her heart pounded loudly, a reminder of the position she was supposed to be in. It was her that was supposed to make him fall for her, not the other way around! "A-Ace...w-what are you talking about?" she asked, quickly trying to change the situation.

"You were just about ready to cry because you were so lonely without me. How cute, Alice," he chuckled.

"T-that's not true!" she denied.

"Alice," he whispered in her ear, "do you love me?"

"...of course I do..."

"Good girl," he smiled, bringing a hand to her wet face. "But, there's no real need to cry over it."

She moaned. Of course there was a need to do something like that. Of course there was! "Stupid! Stupid, Ace!" she yelled, turning around and hugging the man.

His hands gently wrapped themselves around her, his chin resting on her shoulder. There wasn't anything he could say to her; this was all just part of the game – crying and all.

She could smell his sent. She knew his sent. Just like the back of her hand, she knew it. It engulfed her, made her feel safe, made her know it was him.

The game.

She'd forgotten about it. Forgotten that she had to make him fall in love with her. And from the looks of it, it wasn't going so well for her. She was falling more and more in love with him, yet she couldn't even tell what he thought of her.

"Alice?"

She blinked, startled after hearing her name, and began looking around.

"Were you thinking of something? When you hug someone, unless it's about them, people find it rude to think about other things."

"That's!" she tried to protest, but ended up staying quiet because she couldn't fight back.

He let his hands glide off of her back, let them fall and dangle by her sides, his eyes never leaving her eyes.

She looked away, catching on to the fact he wasn't going to look away from her.

Ace's eyes – cold but intrigued by the girl's behavior – still followed her as she looked away from him. A sudden urge filled his insides, polluting his mind with wants and desires he had never felt before.

When he was with her, he felt emotions he never felt before – anger and jealousy, happiness and embarrassment. And lately, he had started to lie more in front of her. How many times he had already lied, he lost count of, but knew it was a large number.

"Ace?" Alice's voice came, knocking him out of his thoughts.

He raised his eyebrows, his regular smile on his face. "Something I can help you with?"

Alice shook her head. She wasn't sure of what words to all say. The emotions, she just wasn't sure how to describe them in words he would understand.

She inhaled a long breath and softly released it. "It's not much."

"That's not—" He stopped. His eyes moved near the bushes nearby. And surely enough, they began to move a bit. A small smile came to his face. His senses hadn't dulled down in the least bit. The only problem was how to fish out the rat while not letting Alice know about it.


	13. Chapter 13: Jealousy is a Lovely Thing

The bushes moved again – only a slight shake, not visible to the untrained eyes.

"Alice," Ace began, "aren't you tired? If you don't get some rest soon, it'll be morning and you'll regret staying up all night."

She looked over at the fire, the light reflecting in her eyes. "I guess you're right," the foreigner agreed.

"Good night."

He smiled. "Good night, Alice." She walked over to the tent he prepared earlier and unzipped it, got in it, and zipped it back up.

The man heaved a sigh. She was finally away. Now he could get some work done.

Slowly he bent down and crept up to the bush, making sure not to make a single unnecessary noise. With each footstep he took, he inched closer to the bush, until finally, he was at the base of it. When there was no motion, he decided it was time to attack. His fingers gently pushed themselves into the bush.

Still no movement.

This person was either stupid or too self-confident, he thought. With a quick motion of his fingers and hands, he was able to part the bush. But, instead of finding someone staring right back at him, he found no one.

So then, the only place left was …

"GAAAAH!"

… Alice!

He quickly bounced up unto his feet, ready to …

He stopped. He was about ready to go run to her? That didn't make any sense. Why would he go run to her? That's right, he needs to be calm about it. He doesn't love her.

Slowly he began to walk to the tent where the girl screamed ….

"P-Peter? What are you doing here?

"Alice! I missed you so much!"

… just a few steps faster …

"D-don't come over here!"

"Alice! I love you, Alice!"

… now it was just a light jogging pace, nothing wrong with a little exercise …

"I … I said don't come near me. I-I'll call..."

… but, if we're talking in terms of exercise, wouldn't running be best?

"...ACE!""

"Sir Peter," he huffed, quickly unzipping the tent, "what a coincidence seeing you here. You're not one to get lost, are you? So, what is it that you're doing here?"

She ran over to Ace, her hand tightly gripping his sleeve.

"Wherever Alice is, I'll be there as well because of the power of love! And," he pulled out his gun, pointing it at ace's face, "I'll kindly advise you let go of _MY_ Alice."

The knight's eyes narrowed at the man. A strong urge pulsed in him, making him want to lift his arm up and grab the girl, pulling her to his side. But, that wasn't like him. And, it all because of her – the foreigner. "Well then, Sir Peter, why don't you take her, that is _if _she wants to go to you."

Her eyes widened and in the process, her fingers slipped off slowly, her heart stinging. She really didn't like how he said that. She didn't want to go to Peter. She didn't want that but ….

"Alice! I knew you'd pick me over him!" Peter exclaimed, hugging the girl.

Ace stood there – arms folded, an angry smile one his face – not making one sound, only watching Alice and Peter. The anger in him was getting almost too much for him.

She's a foreigner, he reminded himself.

It wouldn't be long until she left again. She didn't belong in this world, after all. Alice left once, so what's to keep her here this time? Him? What could he do? It was certainly only a matter of time before she got fed up with her one-sided "love" and would decide to leave again. He knew he couldn't fall in love with her.

The foreigner – being smothered by Peter's hug – looked over at him. His eyes were looking somewhere else. Why couldn't he look at her? Why couldn't he at least show a little jealousy? Was this really all just a futile effort?

"Sir Peter," Ace mumbled under his breath, however, loud enough for the others in the tent to hear him, "I'll tell you kindly once: please let go of Alice."

Peter frowned. "What gives you the right to say something like that. She obviously chose me."

"Alice," he looked at her, "who do you choose?"

Without a second thought, she pushed the man off of her and ran toward the knight. With both hands extended out to her, he caught her as she landed in his chest, his arms gently wrapping themselves around her. "Now say again who she chooses?"

He gritted his teeth, not wanting to admit defeat. "Alice! No, Ace," he corrected, "what did you do to her?" His eyes were of the same as Ace's cold and cruel eyes. There was no joking in his voice; he was serious.

"I didn't do anything to her. Why don't you ask her yourself, Sir Peter? I'm sure she could give you a far better answer than I could," he laughed, back to his smiling self.

He quickly locked his gaze on Alice, his ears pinned down. "Alice," he in a hurt voice, "why—why did you choose him over me?"

There wasn't much she could say. It could all be defined by some simple words: "I … l-l-love him."

It felt as if a hundred pound weight had been dropped on his heart. All his hard work … was for nothing? He had bought her here to love him, and she turns around and loves another man – the Knight of Hearts, Ace. Why couldn't she love him? What was so wrong with him? He loved her so much, and did all he could to provide her with happiness, yet, on the other hand, Ace did none of that. So, why did she choose him? "Why?"

She bit the inside of her lip. It was hard to explain in words what she liked about him. But, if she had to say anything, it was that darkness in him that had to have attracted her to him, his smile – cruel or not – , his laugh, .. everything about him she loved. "I love him," was all she was able to say. She knew that Peter wouldn't understand even if she told him that. It was something only she could understand.

Peter, without a word, turned around and walked out, leaving the two of them alone. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't do anything now. It was too late. All he could do was leave them. All he could do was silently love her in his own way, hoping that maybe someday she would learn to love him also.

"Alice," said Ace, "I hope you know that your punishment will be very bad for making me worry this much."

"Worry?" she laughed. "I thought this was all just a game?"

He smiled at her comment. "Yes, it is a game. So, your penalty will be very, very bad. I do hope you're ready for his, Alice."

She laughed, hugging the man tighter. "I'll take any punishment you give me."


	14. Chapter 14: Change

When the two got back to Julius', they had a harsh lashing for making him worry so much. Ace, however, pointed out that he was more concerned about Alice than him.

"Why is that?" he wondered. Thinking back, he had always been over protective of her. That surely couldn't mean that even Julius had also fallen in love with her?

"Ace? What's wrong?" asked Alice.

He blinked in surprise, being called back to reality. "Nothing? Why would you think otherwise?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Was that a question or an answer?"

A smile crept onto his face. Really, how much did she know about him? "Remember what you were saying earlier about answering a question with a question?"

"Yeah," she pouted, puffing up her cheeks. "..But, this doesn't count. You're not being straight with me."

"So, it only counts for you then?"

"I–"

"SHUT UP!" screamed Julius as loud as he could, banging his hand on his desk, everything on it vibrating from the force.

The two flinched, Alice having more of a reaction than Ace, who only flinched the slightest bit, if even.

"Let me work in peace, would you? Every time you come over it gets too noisy for me! Get or or be quiet!" He pointed to the door, having no faith his "friend" could be quite enough for him to work in peace, Alice, however, was a completely different story.

"Sorry, Julius. We'll be quiet so you can get back to work."

"Sigh...That's not the problem. You two are always loud. You're just being more a distraction than usual, especially now with your disappearing act."

"Isn't it the same?"

"That's not it...Alice...it's..."

"Do you want some coffee? You look really tired. I think it'd be best if you took a break. Did you even sleep at all? Really, Julius, as much as you worry about me, I worry ten times as much!"

"Yes, yes. Coffee's fine."

"Then come on, Ace." She looked at him before walking to the kitchen. "If you have something to say, make it quick."

His eyes narrowed down at the place she stood. There was something different about her. Something much, much too different. And he didn't like it, not one bit.

"I'm going out. Tell Alice that for me." The man stood up, placing his glasses on the table. "I have to go meet with Gowland. I probably won't be back for a couple of days at least." He glanced nervously at the door then back at Ace. "As much as I hate to say this, make sure she's not alone, and above all, don't do anything weird while I'm gone."

"Can do!" He smiled.

Julius sighed. What had he gotten her into. When he came back he'd have to apologize to her. This, however, was just the same as her going on another "adventure" with him. He'd be worry nonstop about her.

Ace leaned against the wall, arms folded, watching her. There wasn't anything to say to her. He didn't know what to say to her. There was something different about her. She was changing.

She was changing.

They were changing.

Everyone was changing.

But, him, he was the same. He hadn't changed since meeting Alice. Nothing had changed about him. Everyday he had to watch as everyone slowly changed. It made him mad.

It mad him mad at himself, mad at her, mad at everyone who was changing. Everything was different. There was nothing the same. Why? Why?

He didn't like it. He didn't want things to change. Why was he the only one who couldn't change. It wasn't fair. He wanted to change too. He wanted to...wanted to...what? What did he want?

Alice?

Did he want her so bad? Did he want her so bad as to hate so much? Hate that everyone could be around her except him? Why did he want her so much? What was it about her that he wanted?

"Ace? Ace, what's wrong? Your face doesn't look good."

The man opened his eyes. She wasn't the same Alice that had come here before. Slowly...slowly but surely, she was turning into an adult all on her own. She was becoming a woman. Not a child. She could no longer be called a child and be pushed to the side out of range anymore.

"Ace?"

Gentle eyes that show the concern that no one had ever shown him. More and more things that no one had ever done for him, she could and was doing that. But he...what was he doing for her. He couldn't love her, that he knew.

Pain. It wrapped around him like his skin. Always there, never there. Which was it?

Pain. Numbing pain. It took away the hurt, the discomfort, the grief he felt until he felt nothing.

Pain...it hurt.


	15. Chapter 15: Distance

Alice.

All he could ever think about was her. She was something he couldn't live without. An important piece of him. But, because she was important to him, he had to leave her. Before everything changed, he could leave. Always running away.

He ached and longed for her. Day or night, it mattered not. All he wanted...all he wanted was her. Her touch, her smile, her laughter, her anger, hate, love; he wanted it all.

The ugly side of him, while he still can, he'll hide it. Before long the cover of innocence will break. Before that, he had to leave her.

"Ac—" She stopped as he smiled at her. Her eyes grew wide, her heart beating.

His eyes. His eyes were...so sad.

"Julius had to leave. He won't be back for a couple of days. I also...have to leave."

"Wa—"

"Good bye, Alice."

This was the only thing he could do for her...For her? Or was it for him?

He was selfish. He couldn't think about others. Everything he ever did was always for himself. So whenever Alice did something unselfish that was just for him, he never could figure out what to do. She was nothing like him.

He turned his head back to the window of the Clock Tower. And there she was looking straight at him. So, he did the only thing he could do: smile and wave. This was his good bye to her.

Soon the distance would grow, she would leave, he'd be forgotten, she'd move on. But, there would only ever be her for him, the Alice that is now.

Changing. Was that it? Was it because he didn't want her to change that he did this? Was he afraid of her changing?

All these feelings and emotions were because of her. The pain, the grief, everything. All he ever wanted to do was get her to accept him. But, hadn't she already done that?

He laughed. His love was twisted, distorted. He'd break her. But, he wanted to see her like that. Broken down like all the clocks Julius has to fix. Broken. Just broken. Weeping, crying, in pain, suffering. Just like what he felt.

If only, just for a little while, couldn't he just say, "nothing's changed," and laugh it off.

To escape all this pain that embraced him, what should he do? What should he do?

.

Boris stopped. His ears twitched. Faintly, it was only faintly, but he thought he could hear Alice somewhere. But, what could she be doing in the middle of a forest? If she was lost with Ace, he was sure he'd be able to hear them both.

Then, Alice lunged out of the bushes. Her face was red, skin scraped and bleeding, clothes ripped and torn.

"A-Alice! W-what are you.."

"Ace! Ace! Where's Ace?" she yelled, her face looking desperate as she collapsed on the ground. She was panting for every breath that she took, completely worn out.

"Did you run all the way here from the clock tower?"

She nodded her head.

"That's—"

Alice looked back up at him, about ready to cry. "Ace...Ace I need to find...him."

"But, couldn't you—"

"It's really important."

He lowered his head, and whispered in a soft voice: "Alice, are you in love with Ace?"


	16. Chapter 16: I Can't Lose You I

"Are you in love with Ace?" He never had meant to ask, the words just came out of his mouth. They came out, but he already knew the answer.

Always looking at her, always loving her. Because of this, he knew. He knew she loved him. For the longest time he could tell she loved him. How she'd chase after him, always getting mad at him for nothing, being embarrassed around him were all signs that she just loved him.

He could tell. Everyone could. But, because they all loved her too, they pushed it to the back of their hearts because they didn't want to see her love someone else.

It hurt. It really hurt. Giving her to another man hurt. But, what hurt the most was seeing her like this. He wanted to take her, take her away from him. He could love her without hurting her like this. But, that would hurt her even more. And because of that, it hurt him more too. To be able to love someone so much, to be so close to them, yet unable to reach out and do anything. It all hurt so, so, so much.

"Alice, can I tell you something? And when I tell you it, can you listen to everything I have to say until the end?" he asked, trying his best to smile.

"...Sure."

He exhaled. "Alice, I know you won't believe me when I say this, but I really do love you. It's not because you're a foreigner. It's because you're who you are that I love you. Originally, just like the others, I loved you only because you were a foreigner, but as I got to know you, little by little, I loved you more and more. But, I already know who you love, and it's not me. There's nothing I can do about it...and it hurts. I want you all for myself. I want to love you and spoil you and make you happy, but I can't do that. Only one person here can do that." He looked away from her. "If you want to find him, he's that way," he pointed his hand to the direction he was looking.

She kept her mouth shut. If she talked now, she'd cry. But, when she she remembered when she was younger her sister had told her something.

"_If you feel like you have to cry, then cry. There's nothing wrong with that, my sweet, little Alice."_

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't love you. But, thank you. Thank you for loving me, for everything you've done for me. It's not enough to say thank you, but I can't … find the words of how grateful I am to you, so thank you."

"It's enough for me." He bent down and placed his hand under her eye, catching a falling tear. "You don't have to cry for me."

"You too."

They both laughed, both crying.

"You know what you have to do, Alice. I won't stop you. Maybe I'll see you around later." He stood up and smiled down at her the best he could before walking off.

She rubbed her eyes, wiping the tears away from her face. Boris was right. There was something she had to do. Now wasn't the time to cry over something like this. She had to find Ace.


	17. Chapter 17: I Can't Lose You II

Ace closed his eyes as he slid down the tree. His breathing was beginning to feel irregular. Was this his reparation for all the wrongs he did – mercilessly killing people, hurting people, torturing them.

Enough was enough. It was enough living this kind of life. He was sick of it. It made him sick just thinking of living again because finally he could be "free" from his role. There was nothing holding him back. It was enough like this.

Rain began to pour down. The drops felt like bullets being fired at him, but it left a pleasant feeling behind after the hurt. It was different. This was something he'd never felt before.

He lifted his head. It hurt. But, his vision was also going. Was he dying? Was this how it felt to die? A painless death. He laughed. It was too much. He'd rather have a painful death than a painless one because it...

"AAAACE!"

...remind him of her. Of how he doesn't want to leave her alone.

"Ace! Ace!" She dropped down on her knees in front of the wounded man.

His face was turned to his right, but she could see clearly how his eyes were blank orbs of crimson and how blood trickled down his forehead, how his chest was also bleeding heavily from a stab wound. But, it didn't look like he was about to die. That, however, could just be wishful thinking.

"Ace. Ace. A-are you..."

Without even the slightest movement of his head, his eyes moved toward her. "Alice?"

Was it her voice he was hearing? Right before he died. Hearing her say his name over and over again in such a sad voice made him hurt even more. It was funny, he thought, that he could hurt the person he loved so much. He was really distorted.

She let her head rest on his chest, grabbing his bloodied clock. "Don't go. Don't leave me. I…I can't lose you. You can't die, Ace. You can't. Ace...answer me."

He lifted his head to look down at the girl who was sobbing into his chest. He placed his left hand on her head and smiled. It didn't seem to bother her at all that he was covered in his own blood.

"Don't die," she whimpered into his chest.

"I won't."

"You won't leave me?"

"No."

"You won't hate me?"

"For what?"

She looked up at him. "Do you love me?"

Without meaning to, he smiled. Her shaking, scared voice asking if he loved her and the look in her eyes, it was cute. She was so cute. He loved it all, everything about her. She would always be his Alice, even if she did change. "I do."

.

"I really don't know where to start!" screamed Julius. "I leave for a few hours and look at you two! I get a call saying your two are in bad states and look at what I find! Ace is half dead and Alice is a complete emotional wreak! I told you to take care of her, did I not?"

"You said not to leave her alone. She was with me the whole time!"

"I said that so she'd be okay, you moron! Do you realize how worried I was about her!"

"...Her? I'm the one that's hurt. Julius, don't you know how much I love you?"

"Shut up. Shut up right now." He glared at the man.

"Are you two arguing?" asked Alice, walking into the room.

"Alice! Julius is yelling at me, an injured person!" whined Ace.

"And I'm sure you deserve it." She looked over at Julius. "Is there something you want? Coffee? Food? Anything?"

His eyes widened, his face becoming red. "I..I can get it myself," he mumbled, walking off into Gowland's kitchen.

Alice sighed. She walked over to Ace and sat down to the left of him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

A few minutes after she had found Ace, Boris came running over with Peter and Gowland. Peter and Gowland took Ace, while Boris took Alice. While the two men were fighting over where to take them, Boris called Julius, who in a made rage, ordered him to bring them to him, saying that if Ace wasn't dead by then, he'd kill that man himself.

Ace's injuries ended up being minimal. He had to be bandaged on the chest and forehead and had to have a cast put over his broken right arm. The injuries, to Alice, weren't as bad as she had first thought when she seen the man. But, over all, she was just glad he was alive and well.

In the end, it didn't really matter how long she had to wait, what she had to go through, or how hurt she was. What really mattered was that she loved him. Even if in the future she changes, she knows, she'll always love him.

"That's the truth of the matter," she mumbled, fast asleep.

He looked down at the girl who fell asleep on him, a confused look on his face. "Alice, what are you dreaming about?"

-The End-


End file.
